ETASHA Society was founded in 2006 by Dr. Meenakshi Nayar to help young people from resource-poor communities acquire job-ready skills, take charge of their careers, and ultimately break the cycle of poverty. Over time, our focus has expanded to include underprivileged women, adolescents, and marginalized communities. We assist them in developing the mindsets, attitudes, and skills needed for gainful employment and income generation, which in turn fosters self-respect, dignity, and social harmony.
We believe everyone has a right to self-respect and dignity
The Prevailing Reality Of The Indian Job Market
Today, we face the challenges of youth unemployment, skills mismatch, skill gaps, inadequate employability skills, and the possibility of increased social unrest. It is estimated that over 75% of new jobs created in India will require skill-based training.
The India Skills Report 2023 identifies the persistent challenge of the Indian workforce lacking formal skill training. The report highlights that only 45.9% of the country’s youth are considered employable, indicating a need for upskilling and reskilling initiatives to ensure that India’s workforce can meet the demands of a rapidly evolving job market. Unless these challenges are addressed, India’s growth and development prospects may suffer.
Our Approach
Our vision is an India where all citizens achieve sustainable economic independence to lead a life of self-respect and dignity.
Our mission is to enable adolescents, youth and women from resource-poor communities to achieve economic independence and well-being through counselling, skilling, and linking them with resources.
ETASHA’s approach is diverse and based on the participative, interactive, and experiential training methodology to ensure skill development as well as attitudinal and mindset change, making the audience ready for employment and income generation. All our projects are need-specific and in line with the ever-changing market scenario. Our work focuses on four main groups: youth, women, adolescents, and communities.
Our interventions for young adult, girls and boys, are designed to address their concerns, including lack of skills, inability to access good jobs, and confusion regarding their future.
We focus on creating economic progress by identifying women with a strong desire and motivation to become entrepreneurs, enabling them to acquire the necessary skills, and helping them set up and run their enterprises. Our interventions for women include awareness creation, skill development, providing seed money as required and handholding support. Foundation level work in the form of Adult Literacy, Digital Literacy and Financial Literacy is undertaken.
We provide support to schools serving low-income communities, addressing emotional, psychological, and foundational skills to enhance their ability and confidence in negotiating the world. Our interventions are designed to show adolescents the path to successful careers and financial independence.
We work towards bringing about a change in mindset in various segments, including the decision makers and influencers. We have designed and implemented several projects to develop an ecosystem where skills are valued, respected, and people are enabled to work with dignity and self-respect.
Examine The Facts
52K +
ADOLESCENTS PROVIDED REMEDIAL EDUCATION, LIFE SKILLS, COMPUTER TRAINING & CAREER GUIDANCE
19K +
YOUNG ADULT GIRLS AND BOYS TRAINED IN VOCATIONAL AND EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS
700+
ADULT WOMEN AND YOUTH ENABLED TO SETUP & RUN SELF-OWNED ENTERPRISES
243K +
COMMUNITY PEOPLE PROVIDED RATION, MEDICINES AND LIVELIHOOD OPPORTUNITIES AS COVID RELIEF
How We Work
Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals), our programs aim to create an enabling environment for youth to take positive decisions and achieve self-growth.
ETASHA’s initiatives now encompass youth, women, and adolescents, with tailored offerings for different individuals. We go beyond skill development, seeking to create a positive mindset for sustained employment and revenue creation. We constantly generate and share knowledge with diverse community stakeholders to create a lasting impact at scale. This includes home visits, parent meetings, alumni events, road rallies, and career development competitions and related activities within the community.
Our theory of change aims to increase employment levels in low-income communities through job-linked vocational training programs. We plan to change the mindset of young people and their influencers by providing information on the employment market, earning opportunities, employability skills required by employers, equipping them with skills required for the job market, and providing access to job opportunities. Our goal is to bring about behaviour change in the form of higher enrollment in vocational programs, enabling young people to earn steady incomes through employment and entrepreneurship and break the cycle of poverty.
Our overall goal is to improve lives and livelihoods and bring about a mindset change towards skilling. And that is why, ETASHA’s theory of change demonstrates not just sustainable livelihoods but a shift that our trainees experience in their lives – from confusion about life goals to confident decision making; from financial dependence to economic independence; from drifting jobs to building stable careers and most importantly a long-term vision towards evolving their lives.
ETASHA’s programmes positively impact the ecosystem around the youth, including school systems, mothers, families and the community at large. ETASHA’s programmes ensure that the environment around the youth is an ‘enabling’ one that supports positive decision making, impressing upon a vision and mission for self and community’s growth.
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Support us in our mission to empower youth, adolescents, women, and their community through skilling, employability, and entrepreneurship courses. Your donation has the power to transform lives.
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Join our team of like-minded volunteers and make a meaningful impact! From teaching to writing, photography to data analysis, there’s a role for everyone at ETASHA Society.